Cyclone Phet to move towards Guj

A severe cyclone packing winds of 75 km per hour was churning the Arabian Sea about 1100 kms west-southwest of Mumbai and was likely to hit coastal Gujarat and Karachi by Thursday, the weather office said today.

The cyclone, named 'Phet', is expected to intensify and bring fairly widespread rains to coastal Gujarat, an advisory issued by the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said.

Weather prediction models suggested that the cyclone would intensify and move slowly in a north-northwesterly/northerly direction and then recurve northeastwards towards Gujarat and adjoining Pakistan coast, it said.

Coastal Gujarat is expected to be battered by squally winds with speed reaching 55-65 kmph gusting 75 kmph from tomorrow which could increase gradually, the weather office said.

According to cyclone tracking models, some parts of coastal Gujarat may experience very strong winds packing speed of up to 125 kmph.

"Fishermen are advised not venture into the sea as sea condition will be very rough along and off Gujarat coast from tomorrow," the weather office said.

The cyclone has been named 'Phet' as per a suggestion made by Thailand to the IMD, which is the Regional Specialised Meteorological Centre (RSMC) for the South Asia as nominated by the World Meteorological Organisation.